UPDATE NOTICE: I've updated the thread with a support list at the very bottom of this post! Let me know if I've made a mistake, misspelling, or have forgotten someone, and if you'd like to either support or back out then I'll gladly make appropriate adjustments. I've decided to take extra care with this one, so along with an extensive preview of the moveset, I've also gone the extra mile to include Crusade-sized sprites! Keep in mind that
these sprites will NOT be used in the event that Cloud makes it into Crusade, and are merely for exemplary purposes and visual aid.Sounds are also included as two separate, safe downloads below; One for SFX and another for Voice Clips, respectively.
And as one last thing before I begin, I'm also going to be including a few GFX that couldn't be easily replicated in Crusade's current engine, such as the effects for Cross Slash, just to be safe.
Playstyle:
Cloud is a lightning bruiser, though only in select cases. Like Lucas, Cloud is perfectly capable of both dealing damage in rapid succession and disposing of opponents; however, his kill moves aren't nearly as fast as his other moves. He attacks relentlessly with quick, high-range but low-damage attacks and then attempts to finish of opponents using slow, high-knockback kill moves. This means that a Cloud player will usually spend a lot of time dealing damage while waiting for his chance to have enough time to successfully pull off a kill move. Using Fire/Firaga and Meteorain, Cloud also has a more limited version of field control, since these attacks aren't nearly as useful as projectiles and are more of a zoning mechanism than anything. Cloud also can't take as much damage as he can deal, and is a relatively light character (harkening back to boss battles in the Final Fantasy series, where your opponent has vastly more HP than you and you have to use your higher damage output and keen sense of strategy to overcome that hurdle).
Cloud's most unique property, however, is his
Limit Break mechanic; Over the course of the battle, Cloud will build up a green "aura" (similar to Lucas's yellow "aura" when using Offense-Up). As Cloud takes and deals damage, the aura will get larger, until it eventually reaches its limit and a quick sound will play signifying that a Limit Break is ready. During this phase, all of Cloud's Special Moves transform into more powerful versions of themselves that either compliment Cloud's strengths or potentially make up for his weaknesses. These Limit Breaks will be covered more in-depth in the "Special Moves" section.
The
Limit Break grows at a rate both quicker than and inverse to the typical Final Smash growth rate, favouring damage taken over damage dealt (that is to say, where you would obtain a Final Smash after dealing around 300% damage, you would obtain a Limit Break after receiving around 100% damage.). This does not scale with an altered Final Smash rate (so if you set Final Smashes to appear at 200% damage dealt, then you would still get a Limit Break after 100% is taken, not 66%.).
Reason for inclusion:
Fanboys calling him God or not, Cloud is still the most recognizable Final Fantasy character in media, for better or for worse. What a lot of people overlook is that, overhype and bad aging or not, Final Fantasy VII is an incredibly important JRPG, and an incredibly influential game in general. While it can be argued that past JRPGs invented the formula and made it well-known, Final Fantasy VII made it a phenomenon as well as gave JRPGs a solid spot in the minds of gamers as some of the most expansive, immersive, and story-driven game games of their time (arguably). It's had multiple movies and spin-offs based off of it, more than any other Final Fantasy series, and he's even chosen as the lone guest character in Final Fantasy Tactics due to his sheer popularity. And for those upset with his rather... Over-emotional personality, so to speak, that was never an element of his original appearance (outside of a few moments where he doubts himself, but he quickly pulls himself back together shortly thereafter). Let's not forget the recently announced remake, either; That alone was enough for many people to claim that Sony won this year's E3 (hyperbole or not), and will definitely make up for the original game's lack of graceful aging with flying colours. Cloud is, by far and large, the most famous character in Square Enix's Final Fantasy roster... So I think it goes without saying that he's an important candidate should we be considering getting a Final Fantasy rep.
Also, yes, he has appeared on Nintendo consoles four times; Twice counting the Theatrhythm games, as well as Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts RE:Coded. Though they may not be outstanding acts, they are at the very least examples of him having contact with a Nintendo system, and frankly if we're including Crash that's all we're going to need here.
Oh, and we sort of have a Final Fantasy VII stage in the game already. So it'd be nice to have its main character in the roster as well.
Now, I will get into the moveset, but to be as in-detail as possible I'm going to talk about the more mundane stuff first and get that out of the way.
Entry:
Cloud stands with his hand stretched upwards as his sword spins and falls down to him, saying "Are you ready for this?". After it is caught, he quickly rests it on his back. Then, the battle begins.
Idle:
Cloud stands in his iconic battle pose, both hands firmly grasping the Buster Sword and with one foot forwards.
Idle to Crouch/Crouch to Idle
A quick little in-between frame for a smoother transition.
Crouch
Self-Explanatory. (From now on, any animations I deem self-explanatory will not come with an explanation.)
Jump Start
Upon closer inspection, characters do seem to use this, so here we are; an animation for the start of the jump! It's obviously very quick.
Jump
Double-Jump
Cloud boosts up into the air, and then rest his sword on his shoulder, ready for a strike.
Special Fall
(Changed to just the Special Fall, as characters seem to use the last frame of their jump as their fall sprite)
Guard/Shield
Spot Dodge
Quickly sidesteps. The middle frame is where he would flash, showing his dodge.
Roll Forwards
Dashes forwards, then catches his footing and turns around.
Roll Backwards
Hops Backwards and rights himself.
Walk
[NO ANIMATION YET]Cloud edges forwards, sword grasped firmly in his hands.
Run
Hurt 1
Hurt 2
Hurt Flying
Hurt Flying 2
Downed
Taunt
Lifts his sword into a upwards position, then says one of three lines (I couldn't decide, again, it's up to the devs);
"Hm." (A simple grunt)
"Feel the planet's wrath!"
or
"No hard feelings." (I was torn as to whether I should make this his winquote or not.)
Win
Turns around, rests his sword on his back, closes his eyes, and then says one of two possible quotes (again, indecisive);
"No hard feelings."
or
"I earned this victory."
--------------------------------------------------------------
Next up are the standard attacks.
Jab combo
A quick downwards slash... (1%)
...A quick upwards slash... (2%)
...And then finally, a sword slam. It should stall a bit on the last frame. (3%)
The first two slashes easily chain together, while the last hit is strong but not reliable for a kill.
Dash Attack
Cloud dashes forwards, slicing twice with great speed, then skids along the ground for a moment. The first hit always chains into the second hit, which always launches the opponent at a consistent 35 degree angle and with fixed knockback. The slide lasts a total of 5 frames and moves him just slightly less far than Shadow's Dash Attack moves him, and can be jump-canceled to initiate an aerial combo. Deals 1% on the first hit and 4% on the second hit.
F-Tilt
Executes two horizontal strikes in quick succession. The first hit has very low knockback and should (under usual circumstances) chain into the second hit, without knockback growth. The second hit should have below-average knockback and minimal knockback growth; Enough to push the enemy away and deal noticably more knockback as the opponent takes more damage, but not enough to be warranted as any sort of kill move. Deals 2% damage on first hit, 4% on second hit.
D-Tilt
Stands up and delivers a quick stab, then crouches back down. Deals 4% with average knockback, though minimal knockback growth.
U-Tilt
Makes a wide, crescent-shaped slash upwards. Launches straight upwards, but has bad kill potential. Deals 5%.
[NEW!!]F-Smash
(Charge)
Using Braver, Cloud leaps forwards, then crashes down with a strong swing. After he lands, a spire of Mako aura explodes from under the blade's impact. Has great kill potential when hitting near the explosion, but long start-up time and endlag. Deals ~15% damage (depending on charge) on the tip of the blade and near Cloud's body, and deals a combination of aura and slash damage in the middle of the blade (near the explosion) for ~27% (depending on charge). The Mako explosion itself does not deal damage and is merely a visual indicator of the blade's sweetspot, to prevent Cloud's F-Smash hitbox from becoming too large.
As this attack is a signature move, it benefits from
Limit Break. However, when using it as a
Limit Break, this attack changes into another one entirely; Blade Beam. When used as Blade Beam, Cloud attacks as normal, though the explosion of aura is no longer part of the attack; instead, Cloud shoots a large, crescent-shaped blast of energy forwards, launching opponents from a distance. The beam is fast and powerful and travels about 3/4 of Final Destination's width, though it lacks the level of power usually associated with
Limit Breaks to balance out having the best range of any other
Limit Break (outside of possibly Meteorain). The slash itself now has consistent damage and knockback throughout the entirety of the blade, with good kill potential, and deals ~25% damage (depending on charge). The beam is slightly weaker, dealing ~15% (depending on charge) and killing at around 110%, much less than most other Limit Breaks.
D-Smash
(Charge)
Cloud quickly stabs his sword into the ground, and after half of a second an explosion of Mako erupts around him. The graphic for the Mako explosion is not included, but it's basically just a green version of Goku's aura anyways. The stab deals no knockback, but stuns to ensure a hit (assuming the opponent got that close to begin with). The explosion deals good knockback, hits both sides and has good kill potential, but deals overall much less knockback and kill potential than his F-Smash. The explosion deals aura damage. Deals 3% on stab, ~13% on explosion depending on charge.
[NEW!!]U-Smash
(Charge)
Cloud readies his sword and gathers strength, then quickly swings it upwards and around himself, his blade augmented with Thunder. The attack has high startup and endlag, but has kill potential that's only slightly lower than that seen in his F-Smash; the difference is that this attack launches at a consistent 75 degree angle and has slightly less horizontal range, allowing for more favourable kills on stages with lower ceilings. Even though it also hits behind him, the damage dealt there is negligible. Deals ~20% depending on charge in the front, and 5% in the back with average knockback and average knockback growth. All attacks deal a combination of electric and slash damage. Even though Cloud uses Thunder in this move, it is not affected in any way by
Limit Break and is purely cosmetic.
N-Air
Cloud quickly swings horizontally twice, in rapid succession. The first attack always chains into the second one, and the attack has good range and low knockback, allowing for easy combos (sort of like a larger, faster version of Falcon's N-Air); However, at 1% per hit, it won't be killing anyone anytime soon and is solely for combo purposes.
F-Air
Cloud quickly slashes in front of him in a wide swing. Covers a wide area and has consistently good knockback but low kill potential, like his Dash Attack. Deals 4%.
B-Air
Cloud turns and quickly slashes behind himself. This attack is slightly slower than his F-Air, but also deals noticeably higher knockback. Deals 6%.
[NEW!!]D-Air
Cloud gathers his strength, and then quickly slices twice downwards with swift swings. The first hit has no knockback growth, and chains directly into the second hit. Has high startup time, but the second hit is a meteor smash in the middle of the blade (the horizontal part). The tip of the blade launches at the Sakurai angle (the diagonal part). Deals 2% on the first hit. The second hit deals 8% in the middle, 5% at the tip, with a combination of electric and slash damage.
U-Air
A quick swing upwards. Like his U-Tilt, this shoots straight upwards but won't be killing anyone ever unless you're too close to the ceiling's blastline. However, the U-Air version deals much less knockback, allowing for easier combos. Deals 3%.
Post-Attack Landing
Plays if he lands in the middle of an aerial attack, though I'm not sure if this is still in Crusade or not.
Grab
Cloud casts Stop in a short range in front of him. If it hits the opponent, it acts as a grab.
(Loops if the grab is successful)
[NEW!!]Pummel
Cloud stabs his captive quickly, then recasts Stop. Deals 3%, and is as quick as the animation.
F-Throw
Slices forwards, breaking the opponent out of Stop and flying forwards. Has good knockback and predictably sub-par kill potential, but unlike similar moves it can still kill at very very high percentages. Deals 6%, kills at 170%.
[NEW!!]B-Throw
Cloud turns around and impales the opponent on his blade, then swings them overhead and slams them into the ground, casting Blizzard from his blade to freeze them as they land. This launches opponents straight upwards and is a good combo starter. It also turns Cloud around to better combo his opponents. Deals 2% on the impale, 4% on the slam with a combination of ice and slash damage). Even though Cloud uses Blizzard in this move, it is not affected in any way by
Limit Break and is purely cosmetic.
[NEW!!]U-Throw
Cloud casts a spike of ice using Blizzard that lifts the opponent upwards, then follows it up with a leaping dual slash. The explosion always lifts the opponent at just the right height for the first hit to connect, the first hit always connects with the second hit, and the second hit spikes the opponent at a 315 degree angle. The second hit also has no knockback growth, but has consistently above-average knockback to still ensure that the spike is effective to at least some degree without the benefit of knockback growth. Deals 3% on the explosion, 2% on the first slash, and 3% on the second slash. Even though Cloud uses Blizzard in this move, it is not affected in any way by
Limit Break and is purely cosmetic.
D-Throw (Cross Slash)
Cloud performs Cross Slash on his trapped opponent. The first two hits lack knockback, though the last blow has similar kill potential to most F-Tilts that aren't Cloud's. Since this attack is a signature move, it benefits from
Limit Break. When using it as a
Limit Break, it deals noticeably more damage and can kill opponents, at the cost of using up your Limit Break. Deals 1% for the first two hits, then 6% for the last hit. When used as a Limit Break, it deals 2% for the first two hits, then 12% for the last hit and kills at around 80-90%. During the
Limit Break version of this attack, Cloud has Super Armor, so it can't be interrupted by another opponent.
(GFX For Cross Slash:)
(The spin only plays when used as a Limit Break)
(Resize them if necessary)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Now for the Specials...
N-Spec:
Fire/Firaga
(Using Fire)
(Using Firaga)
Cloud summons a relatively large ball of fire (about half the size of his standing sprite and equally as long) to roam very, very slowly around the battlefield, homing in on nearby opponents. The fireball is active for around 5 for seconds, though it also detonates upon contact with an opponent. Cloud cannot summon another fireball if the current one is still active, and attempting to do so will play the animation but only result in summoning a small puff of smoke (similar to Robin). When used as a
Limit Break, this attack is changed to Firaga. The fireball is much larger (roughly 1.25x the size of the one summoned via Fire) and is just over twice as fast. It also stays on the field for 8 seconds as opposed to five, making it even more likely that it will hit its mark. To be clear, Fire cannot be used while either Fire
or Firaga is active, though Firaga
can be used while Fire is active. These attacks are meant to control the playing field by discouraging the opponent from attacking from places that Cloud might find inconvenient for him to attack, or to simply keep an extra guard up just in case. Fire deals 5% on impact with decent knockback but zero kill potential, while Firaga deals 3% rapid damage (three hits) then explodes for 4%, with good knockback and minimal kill potential while also being a decent threat to shields (think Ryu's strong F-Tilt in Smash 4).
F-Spec:
Climhazard
(Start)
(Dashing)
(Uppercut upon hit)
(Second uppercut in
Limit Break)
(Finishing hit in
Limit Break)
Cloud readies his blade, then dashes forwards at breakneck speeds (similar to Ike's Quick Draw). After a short distance (roughly half of Final Destination) he'll simply stop in place for a while, though if he hits someone with his dash he'll rocket upwards with a quick uppercut! The uppercut can be followed into by any other attack besides Climhazard, making it an ideal combo starter. When used as a
Limit Break, however, it completely transforms into one of Cloud's most reliable kill moves. When used as a
Limit Break, not only is the dash faster but it also ignores shields, meaning that it will always connect so long as the opponent doesn't dodge it normally. Afterwards, Cloud will follow up with a second uppercut, and then finish with a rising slash that has great kill potential. When used in the air as a non-
Limit Break, Cloud will become helpless unless he connects with it; however, when used as a
Limit Break, Cloud does not become helpless in the air even if it doesn't connect, allowing it to double as a reliable recovery should you be willing to spend your
Limit Break. Deals 2% upon connecting with the dash and 4% on the follow-up slash. When used as a
Limit Break, the former attacks deal the same amount of damage, though the additional attacks add on 6% and 8%, respectively. The last hit in the
Limit Break variation will kill at around 75%.
D-Spec:
Meteorain
(On the ground)
(In the air)
Clouds raises his sword and then swings it down, summoning a meteor from right above him. The Meteor falls about 1/4 of the length of Final Destination from Cloud's current position, and explodes upon contact with a surface. It can be used as a very good edgeguarding tool, though the meteor moves slowly and can't be re-summoned so long as it's already on the battlefield. It doesn't explode after making contact with players, but it does explode on its own if it doesn't touch a surface within 2.5 seconds. When summoned in the air, it instead launches straight below Cloud from above him, making it more of a cross between an anti-ground attack and a zoning tool than a zoning tool and an edgeguarding tool. When used as a
Limit Break, a stream of five meteors is instead summoned to rain havoc upon those who are within range. The ranges of the attacks have not changed (aerial version still shoots straight down and grounded version is aimed 1/4 of Final Destination away from Cloud), though the meteors are much, much faster, on-par with Samus's Super Missiles. The meteors also explode upon contact with an opponent when used as a Limit Break, as opposed to only detonating upon impact with a surface. Deals 1% upon the slash and 3% upon impact with minimal knockback and no growth, and 5% with good knockback and sub-par growth if the explosion hits. When used as a
Limit Break, the slash deals 3% damage and knocks the opponents into the line of fire on the ground while acting as a meteor smash in the air. Each meteor deals 4% damage with noticeable hit-pause to allow each meteor to combo into each other. After the hit-pause wears off, the opponent is launched with good knockback and decent kill potential (at around 95%). Cloud can be attacked during the summon whether used as a
Limit Break or not, preventing the meteors from appearing.
U-Spec:
Finishing Touch
(Start) (Sped up x2 and looped thrice, slowing down to x1.5 on the second loop and x1 on the third loop.)
(
Limit Break finisher)
This version of the Finishing Touch is more reminiscent of its Dissidia incarnation than its original appearance. Cloud swings his sword rapidly, ascending straight up while wrapped in a makeshift tornado. Cloud can't steer left or right while using this attack, but it does lift him a good distance upwards, similar in distance and speed to Samus's Screw Attack. It covers a wide area and attacks both sides, scooping up enemies and dealing rapid damage, then spitting them out once it's done. The final hit deals good knockback, though it throws at a random sideways angle and it isn't reliable for kills, just for getting opponents to back off. When used as a
Limit Break, Cloud gains a sudden boost in horizontal control and can freely and speedily move left and right while spinning, greatly improving recovery. It also ends in a finishing slash that acts as a strong Meteor slash, being very slightly weaker than Ganondorf's D-Air. This makes it a very reliable method of killing when off-stage, though unlike Climhazard's
Limit Break variation this attack still leaves you helpless in the air regardless of whether it's used as a
Limit Break or not. All opponents currently caught in Finishing Blow will also be sent into the direction of the final attack right before it executes, guaranteeing it hits so long as you've trapped an opponent. Rapidly deals 1% damage five times while spinning, and deals 3% on the final blow. When used as a
Limit Break, it deals 2% damage five times while spinning and 5% on the finishing slash.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[NEW!!]Final Smash:
Omnislash
(Start on the ground)
(Start in the air)
(The attack, which is the same animation for both in the air as well on the ground)
(The optional landing animation for the aerial variation)
Cloud's signature finishing move, Omnislash, is his penultimate Limit Break (though this one is only a Limit Break in name). Cloud readies his sword, focuses, and then dashes forwards at a breakneck pace. On the ground, Cloud continues to run until he either comes into contact with an opponent or falls off the edge of a platform; if Cloud reaches the edge of the stage while running, he trips off of it and fails to execute the attack. While in the air, Cloud instead starts off the attack with a slash that moves him forwards very quickly, though unlike the grounded version he stops immediately if it doesn't connect. Regardless of the method of activation, hitting an opponent will result in Omnislash activating. Cloud will assault the enemy with a barrage of slashes, each one making a distinct sound unique to Final Fantasy VII's strongest slash-based attacks. After the opponent has been thoroughly diced, Cloud leaps into the air to ready one last blow, and then crashes down on them for a winning strike. The final attack also creates a relatively large Mako aura explosion, for aesthetic purposes. Each of the ten slashes deal 2% for a total of 20% damage, with the final attack dealing 15% with amazing knockback and kill potential (with the final hit killing at 45% and the explosion killing at 75%) for a total of 35% damage. As an added bonus, when used in the air, Cloud will throw his sword in the air upon landing and then catch it, calling back to his pose when using Omnislash V5; however, this will only occur if no other action is made after Omnislash ends, so it can be canceled via airdodge or any other action. During the animation, Cloud also has super armor to prevent it from being interrupted, though he can still take damage. While a
Limit Break is available, this attack becomes much more devastating as Cloud equips the Ultima Weapon for the entire duration of the attack. Each of the first ten slashes deal 3% with the Ultima Weapon, with the final hit dealing 20% for a solid 50% damage. The Mako explosion is also much larger when using the Ultima Weapon (by roughly 15%), and both the finishing blow and the Mako explosion receive major kill power boosts (around 30% for the final blow, 65% for the explosion).
So... I know that was a rather large post, but I'm very interested to hear what you all think! Do you think he's overpowered? Do you think he's underpowered? Do you think that he's a bad idea in general? Or do you think this is all perfectly fine, and want to support his inclusion? Let me know with your responses!
(Also, I apologize for not providing all of the possible animations, though hopefully these will be a good head start should Cloud ever actually be considered for Crusade.)
(Sound Files:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/s3h4mkwyzad8vnl/SFX.rar
http://www.mediafire.com/download/sivvanfmloono31/Voice.rar)
SUPPORT LISTCONFIRMED:Naughty Ottsel
AkumaTh
VultureDuck
desu
Lego Shaq
MarioStrikerMurphy1994
DSwift
Perfect Hell
TaXMaN
eris27100
Trinitroman
CJ
SageHarpuiaJDJ
Shiruzato (this counts I suppose?)
Geno Boost
TheMayMaysJack
PENDING:Dustination (seems to like it, though I'm not quite sure yet)
Roy (is on the fence)
Level 5 CPU
Level 3 CPU
